Posted by George
a resident of Atherton: other
on Nov 13, 2012 at 12:21 pm

Here we go again. Voters are sent and encouraged to bring with them their completed voter handbook to their polling place that contains their precinct. Long lines stem from unprepared voters. This happens every presidential election. But for the next 3 years there will be low turn out. If Ms. Fergusson was at a polling place that was not be her precinct, can that construed as electioneering since she was on the ballott? First the Brown Act, now electioneering violations!

Posted by electioneering
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on Nov 13, 2012 at 12:50 pm

George, Furgusson refused to be interviewed by investigators from the DA's office during a criminal investigation. If an electioneering investigation is kicked off, we can only hope she will be will to explain her act responsibly and explain her actions.

Posted by George
a resident of Atherton: other
on Nov 13, 2012 at 1:56 pm

It would be wise to understand the system prior to sharp shooting the process. Each precinct has at least 4 voting machines plus 1 for machine especially for the disabled. However, some choose to vote by paper ballot, allowing for more voters at the same time but slows the process. Except for presidential elections, many voters do so by mail or don't bother to vote. The polls open at 7am. If more people come prepared, the lines would move more rapidly. Everyone that shows up gets to vote. Patience is a virtue.

Posted by Matt Barnes
a resident of another community
on Nov 13, 2012 at 2:50 pm

"6 million+ gun owners didn't abuse their weapons yesterday."

Interesting wording. How does one abuse a weapon? "Bad gun! You are a bad gun, I'm going to whup you!"

Jorge: 250 million Americans that don't own guns not only didn't "abuse their weapons" yesterday...........

THEY DIDN'T SHOOT ANYONE, either!

"The nation averages 87 gun deaths each day as a function of gun violence, with an average of 183 injured, according to the University of Chicago Crime Lab and the Centers for Disease Control. The crime lab's research estimates the annual cost of gun violence to society at $100 billion."

Time for a national ID to replace all the GOP voter ID laws, and a National Election Administration.

Posted by hopefull
a resident of Portola Valley: Ladera
on Nov 13, 2012 at 4:11 pm

Perhaps Congress can agree that it needs to set the standard for how elections should be done everywhere. They have the power. Why should voting differ depending where you live? Haven't we seen enough problems? Luckily we don't know for sure whether the machines the corporations own have been abused. Why should corporations own the machines and the software?
As for guns......... not sure why it's here....... but how many of the next countries after the US would you have to add up to equal our death toll? OK... Mexico would give you a lot.... and then? Is it still in the four digits per year range? What a great "right"!

Posted by POGO
a resident of Woodside: other
on Nov 13, 2012 at 5:14 pm

Three quick points.

1. Ms. Fergusson has been a member of the City Council for the better part of the past decade. If she has a problem with the way voter rolls are organized, she had ample opportunity to correct it long before election day.

2. Why people vote on election day is totally beyond me. You can vote early at many precincts or by absentee ballot at the convenience of your living room sofa for weeks prior to the election. The cost is a 44 cent stamp to mail it when you are finished. No lines. No waiting. No nothing. Or you can wait in line at the precinct on election day waiting for some idiotic voter ahead of you to read the propositions. Your choice.

3. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the voters of Menlo Park for finally and mercifully giving Ms. Fergusson her walking papers. I only hope her transparent aspirations for higher office have been extinguished.

Posted by Menlo Voter
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on Nov 13, 2012 at 6:04 pm

I voted at my polling place. On election day. I do so every election. No problems or long lines at my polling place. Maybe a lot of folks in Menlo Park don't vote? Or maybe the folks that vote where I vote come prepared.

As to gun deaths. I'd be willing to bet most of those are what we in law enforcement used to refer to as "AVANHI." A**hole versus a**hole, no humans involved - gang bangers, drug dealers, dirt bags, etc. Basically, the average law abiding citizen in this country is VERY RARELY killed by guns. One only need to look at Oakland to see who the majority of folks are that are dieing at the end of a gun.